British workers are the most pessimistic in the world about their job prospects, with one in three fearing redundancy, new research shows.

A survey of 9,000 workers in 18 countries based on career confidence placed UK employees bottom, with those in Norway, Japan and Denmark in the top three.

The number of UK workers who fear it would be difficult to find another job of a similar grade if they were made redundant increased from 71 per cent six months ago to 77 per cent now.

Other than Korea, the UK is the only country where workers are less confident that they were in May, according to the report by consultants Right Management.

The Norwegians are the most optimistic, with only one in 25 believing there is a chance they could lose their job in the coming year.

Peter Coles, director of Right Management, said: "The continuing restructuring of the labour market with the growth in outsourcing, particularly in the public sectors, has led to increased uncertainty for many about their future job security. In addition, many people feel they don’t have the relevant experience for the new jobs being created."